Irrigation dam stick



April 28, 1953 J. T. -KANEMCJTO 2,636,353

IRRIGATION DAM sTIcK Filed May 19, 1952 llllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllll Z |||l|||| Illlllllllllll Fg INVENTOR.

BY JWM/f /vg/oa Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRRIGATIQNDAM strlen Jimmie T. Kan-emoto, Longmont, Colo. Application May V19, 1952, serial No. 288,593

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in irrigation dam sticks.

In parts of the country where rainfall is below normal irrigation is practiced and water is flowed through the sections to be irrigated in canals from which water is diverted to the fields through smaller or lateral canals. The land owner diverts water from the laterals to his fields. Where the water is diverted from the laterals it is necessary to provide temporary dams that raise the level suiciently to make it ow into the diversion ditches that lead to the fields.

The temporary dams in most common use are canvas dams which comprise a heavy canvas of a size greater than the cross section of the canal to be dammed. One edge of the canvas is formed into a wide hem through which a stick extends. The stick is of such length that it reaches entirely across the canal and its ends are positioned in depressions formed to receive them. The edges of the canvas are weighted down with ground and when properly positioned such dams raise the level of the water until it flows over the top of the dam whose height is determined by the elevation of the stick. If the level is to be changed the stick must be either raised or lowered which requires a considerable amount of work.

It is the object of this invention to produce an irrigationV dam stick that comprises two rods or pipes interconnected by a hinge meansthat permits the two parts to be adjusted angularly with y respect to each other after the dam is in place so that the water level can be altered without changing the canvas dam except to lower or raise the upper edge thereof.

The above and other objects that will appear as the description proceeds are attained by means of a construction and an arrangement of parts that will now be described in detail for which purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illustrated and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing the parts in one position with parts broken away to better disclose the construction;

Figure 2 is a top plan view;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3 3, Figure 2, and shows by broken lines the other extreme position of the parts;

Figure 4 is a section taken on lined-4, Fign ure 1;

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5, Figures 1 and 3;

Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6 6, Figure 1;

rFigure 7 is a side elevation of a canal dam showing the stick in place in the hem thereof, a portion being broken away to better disclose the position of the parts;

Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the position of the dam in an irrigation canal lateral;

Figure 9 is a section taken on line 9 9, Figure 8, and

Figure 10 is a section taken on line l0 |0, Figure 8.

In the drawing reference numeral I5 designates an irrigation canal lateral, I 6 represents small ditches for conducting water to the field, or instead of ditches syphon tubes maybe used, and reference numeral I1 designates the canal dam as a whole.

The dam is formed from a'large piece of canvas I8 having a Wide' hemf|9 for the reception of the dam stick 2l) whose length is such that its ends rest on the opposite sidesof the canal. The edges of the canvas are held in place against the sides and bottom of the canal by mud loaded thereon.

The canals are usually inclined as shown in Figure 9 and by means of the dams ,of level of the water can be raised until it oWs over the top of the dam. Since only a small portion of the water is removed at each dam the remainder flows over.

In Figure 10 the top of the dam has been shown as lower in the center and by adjusting the extent to which the center of the dam is lowered or raised the level of the water can be controlled.

This invention, :as abovev pointed out, relates to the construction of thedam stick which will now be described. i s f The stick consists of twosections of pipe 2l and 22 thatv are connected'. by a hinge of such construction that the angular `relation ofy the pipes can be altered. Theconnecting means or hinge consists of a body formed from two plates 23 and 24 held in spaced relation by a channel shaped member 25 which also serves another purpose to which reference will hereinafter be made. A sem-cylindricalmember 26, connects the upper edges of the sides at their middle points. A metal block- 21 is positioned between the sides at their left hand ends when viewed as in Figure 3 and is mounted on pivot 21a and :a similar block 28 is positioned at the right hand endV and vmounted on pivot 28a. Pipe 2| is welded to the top of block'land;` a threaded ring 29 is weldedtothe-top,V of block'28. Pipe 22 has a threaded section 30 and may be adjusted longitudinally with respect to ring 29 and connector 26. If pipe 22 is turned suficiently to withdraw its threaded end from underneath 26 it can be turned through an langle of 180 degrees. The inner end of pipe 2| has a steel ball 3l welded to it and serves to interconnect the pipes to effect their uniform angular movement.

When pipe 22 is turned in a direction to move it inwardly and force it against the ball the pipes will tend to turn in opposite directions until their ends engage the inner surface of part; 26. The parts are so proportioned and related that when the ball is under pressure the two pipes will be in axial alignment. When pipe 22 is turned in a direction to move its inner end away from the ball the pipes will move towards the broken line position shown in Figure 3. The angular relation of the pipes can be adjusted by rotating pipe 22 in ring 29. Member 25 serves as a stop as shown in Figure 3. When not in use pipe 23 is withdrawnentirely from; ZEHand'can then befolded into a position 1805degrees from that shown.

Pipes 2i and 252i are of short length and threaded at their outer ends, so that extension pipes 23m and 22d-can be attached by suitable couplings in the manner indicated by broken lines.

The pipes can be of any suitable size and usually three quarter or one inch pipe. Since the ydarn is quite long a small angular inclination ofA the pipes produces aconsiderable depression at the! center cfrthe dam. Although a steel ball welded. to the end off pipe 2i has proved satisfactory, specifically. diffe-rent means may be substituted; Due to the fact that pivots 27a and 28a are spaced a considerable distance below the center ofthe pipes, the endslothepipes will have a considerable movement towards and away from each other as-the pipes are moved about these pivots but after ak certain angular movement has been reached the ends will move apart and stop 25:has thereforebeenprovided tolimit the movement before this point has been reached.

From the above description it will be apparent that a large amount' ofi labor and inconvenience are avoided by: the use of this device. Instead of'v employing the'usual wood stick or pole which aflords. no adjustment and is inconvenient to transport the metal dam stickdescribed above can be used'. The pipes shown in full lines` can bei extended to any desired length by the use of old pipes that haveA been indicated by broken lines. When movingconsiderable distances the device can be folded. The device is marketed with short lengths of pipe. asshown infull lines and therefore. occupies small` storage space and can be sold at a smaller price. than if it were supplied with full length pipe. Since old land otherwiseuseless pipeare nearly always available the extra cost for the extension pipes is negligible. The convenience-off' being able to regulate the height of the darn` by the simple act of turning one oi the pipes isof great help. Although only one of the pipes have' been shown as longitudinally adjustablerelativeto its pivoted lug it is to be'understood that.-` both may =be so adjusted ii desired.

What is claimedas new is.:

l. An adjustable irrigation dam stick comprisingtwo vpipesections arranged in axial alignment, eachv section` having` a. laterally extending` lug attachedthereto v'adjacent its end, the lugs having pivot bearings positioned equal distancesv from the-.centersof the pipeafpivotsin saidv bearings;

metal plates interconnecting the pivots, one of the pipes having a threaded connection with its lug whereby it will move in the direction of its length relative to the lug when it is turned, a spacer element positioned between the adjacent ends of the pipe, said member having a convex surface facing the end of one of the pipes providing an abutment when the pipes are in axial alignment, means comprising a stop for preventing the pipe sections irom moving angularly relative to each other in one direction beyond the point where they are in axial alignment and stop means carried by the metal plates for limiting the relative angular movement of the pipes in the other direction to a predetermined angle.

2. An adjustable irrigation dam stick comprising. a body formed from two spaced plates connected along one edge by a stop member extending some distance on both sides of their middle points, a second stop and spacer member positioned betweenthe-plates along their other edges, two pipes associated with the base, each pipe having a lug extending laterally from one side thereof, the lug having bearings for pivot pins', the lugs being positioned between the plates, one adjacent each` end thereof, the ends of the pipes extending underneath the iirst mentioned stop, one of the pipes having a threaded connection with its lug whereby it will move longitudinally when rotated, one of the pipes having its inner end provided with an outwardly convex projection adapted to enter the opposing end of the other pipe,- the two pipes assuming an axially aligned position when the threaded pipe is moved inwardly until it exerts a force on the opposing end of the other pipe sufficient tomove the pipes againstl the' first mentioned stop, the pipesbeing free to assume an angular.l relation when the threaded pipe isV withdrawn the extent of said angular movement being limited by the second mentioned stop.

3; An irrigation dam stick Ycomprisingy in combination two pipes each having a lug attached thereto and extending laterally therefrom, adjacent one end; the lugrv having bearing openings whose axis areperpendicular to a plane containing the axis of the pipe, the axis of the bearing openings being spaced the same distance fromA the. center'v of the pipe` withA which it is associated,

ivot pins in said bearings, one of the-pipes being threadedly connected with its lug whereby its position relative to the lug may be changed by rotating it relative to the luga a hinge plate posi'- tioned on each side of' the lugs having openings for the reception of the ends ofthe pivot pins, a curved loop connecting the upper edges off the hingeplatesat a point substantially midwayl between the pivots, said loop forming a stop limit.-A

JIMMIE T. KANEMOTO.

References Cited irrthe legof thisrpatent` UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Glazen Oct. 1.1, 1904A 

